Visual Impairment

 The Denton ISD Visual Impairment Team currently consists of three Certified Teachers of Students with Visual Impairment (TVI), a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) and a Braillist.

 The VI team provides support to classroom teachers and evaluates students to determine their educational needs. The team also provides direct instruction of the Expanded Core Curriculum to students who qualify as students with visual impairment. The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is a disability-specific set of skills that compensates for vision loss and is foundational to all other learning. The ECC covers Compensatory Access, Assistive Technology, Sensory Efficiency, Career Education, Recreation and Leisure, Self-determination, Social Interaction, Independent Living, and Orientation and Mobility. What is the ECC? TSBVI http://www.tsbvi.edu/seehear/winter01/core.htm

 Orientation and Mobility (O&M) is a profession specific to blindness and low vision that teaches safe, efficient, and effective travel skills. Orientation refers to the ability to know where you are and where you want to go, whether you're moving from one room to another, or walking downtown for a shopping trip. Mobility refers to the ability to move safely, efficiently, and effectively from one place to another, such as being able to walk without tripping or falling, cross streets, and use public transportation. An O&M Specialist provides instruction that can help develop or re-learn the skills and concepts needed to travel safely and independently within the home and in the community.

Orientation and Mobility is a related service and is provided only if deemed necessary by an IEP/ARD committee. It is based on the student’s individual needs.

Deafblind Services are provided by our team in close collaboration with professionals for students with Auditory Impairments https://www.dentonisd.org/Page/55745

Eligibility statement

 Eligibility is determined by an individualized family service plan (IFSP) or by an admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee. It is based upon an eye medical report, functional vision evaluation, a learning media assessment and an orientation and mobility evaluation. A COMS must be part of the team that determines the scope of any needed full and individual reevaluations.

  Students generally considered eligible as visually impaired (eligibility is determined by the ARD committee) include:

1. Infants and toddlers (birth to three) who are blind or have a “serious visual loss” after correction, which is interfering or is expected to interfere with normal patterns of development.
2. Students (ages three through 21) whose visual loss, after correction, is so severe that it adversely affects their educational performance in regular or special education classes.
3. Students (birth through 21) who have a progressive medical condition that will result in no vision or a serious visual loss after correction.

Texas State Eye Report  https://www.region10.org/sites/r10website/assets/File/Interagency%20Eye%20Report%20Form.pdf

Ophthalmologist: Medical doctor who is a specialist in the branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of disorders and diseases of the eye.

Optometrist:  healthcare professionals who provide primary vision care ranging from sight testing and correction to the diagnosis, treatment, and management of vision changes.

Alexander Vision Center Cooks Children’s Health Care Systems https://cookchildrens.org/ophthalmology/Pages/default.aspx

Resources:

Texas School for the Blind  https://www.tsbvi.edu/

Parent Handout http://www.tsbvi.edu/images/ParentGuide.pdf

Pathways to Literacy This website is a joint project between Perkins School for the Blind and Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired https://www.pathstoliteracy.org/

Perkins School for the Blind https://www.perkins.org/

Texas Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairment https://www.tapvi.org/

National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairment

https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/national-eye-health-education-program/nehep-partnership-directory/national-association-parents-children-visual-impairments

Little Bear Sees - Cortical Visual Impairment https://littlebearsees.org/

Camp Abilities https://www.dentonisd.org/campabilities

Blind Children’s Program https://hhs.texas.gov/services/disability/blind-visually-impaired/blind-childrens-vocational-discovery-development-program

Early Childhood Intervention https://hhs.texas.gov/services/disability/early-childhood-intervention-services

Texas Work Force Commission https://hhs.texas.gov/services/disability/blind-visually-impaired

ESC Region 11 Special Education of Students with Visual Impairments https://www.esc11.net/domain/537

Texas Services for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired https://www.txssn.org/domain/122

Fort Worth Lighthouse for the Blind https://lighthousefw.org/

Texas State Talking Book Program https://www.tsl.texas.gov/tbp/index.html

Bookshare https://www.bookshare.org/cms/about

Sight Savers America https://www.guidestar.org/profile/30-0188234

American Council for the Blind https://www.acb.org/

American Federation for the Blind https://www.afb.org/

National Federation for the Blind https://www.nfb.org/

Braille specific resources:

UEB Online https://uebonline.org/

Braille Authority http://www.brailleauthority.org/ueb.html

9 More than Core Support Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/144982806238924/

CVI Scotland https://cviscotland.org/